


You're shying away, I'll be coming for you anyway

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempt at Humor, Bartenders, Claustrophobia, Crush at First Sight, First Meetings, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentioned Suh Youngho | Johnny, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, just think they're in their mid 20s, no beta we die like men, so im doing it for yall, we honestly need more content in the renmin tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21634915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: He stiffly holds out his hand with wide eyes and says, "I'm Renjun."He hears Donghyuck snicker but couldn't care more, he scans the face of the nameless boy more as he waits for an answer."Jaemin. I'm a bartender too like Donghyuck." he replies with a smile, and oh God his hand is so warm Renjun was sure the warmth reached his cheeks.aka the bartender!jaemin and waiter!renjun in a bar au that no one asked for
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno
Kudos: 73





	You're shying away, I'll be coming for you anyway

**Author's Note:**

> title from a-ha's take on me because i love that song so much i feel like it will be the last song i'll sing on my death bed
> 
> also i got writer's block from writing too much non-fiction, does that make sense??
> 
> anyways i hope you enjoy this one despite me rushing this story and putting this on a less-than-a-week setting because im getting sleepy!

"Okay hello there, Huang Renjun." said boy greets back and puts on a smile before seating down.

"My name is Kim Jungwoo and I'll go ask some questions first before we can chat freely."

This is where he starts to breathe deeply and tries to focus on the pen at the desk in front of him. It's his first job interview, after all.

"Let's get straight to the point, why do you want to work here?"

He practiced the answer for this question, he can do this.

"This is my first job interview, also the first application, actually. I also just got here from China because I told my parents I wanted to live alone and be in a different environment, and thank heavens they allowed me." his answer got this Jungwoo guy to chuckle, so he felt at ease.

"A few questions formed in my head from that answer alone so let me list it down, why come here to Korea, how come you have a good diction, and I'm assuming you're a fresh graduate and your qualifications are extraordinary, so why this job?"

Renjun smiled as he expected this question, so he easily answered, "Two of my brothers and a cousin of mine actually already lived here since years ago, so when they come back home in China they would always teach me words or phrases or sentences they learned here and it prompted me to fully learn the language with a tutor. And since they're already here, I'm planning to live with them for a short while until I've earned enough to get myself my own space."

"But this job suffices your findings in a job?"

"Yup."

Jungwoo takes a deep breath and leans back, he reviews the boy's resume again before leaning forward while sticking his arm out and saying,

"Congratulations. You're hired."

✫彡

"You're a fine arts student yet you're working here in a bar, not even someone who would probably redecorate our walls, but as a waiter? Are you out of your mind?"

"It's fine Donghyuck-ah, I just need to earn enough money then I'll scram out of here."

"Oh don't be like that! We just met and you're already thinking of going away?" Donghyuck then hooked his left arm around Renjun's neck as he tours the latter around the bar while it's still not open, a few other staff come in and they seem friendly enough.

After the interview, Jungwoo told Renjun to come three hours before the opening time two days after so a staff, who's apparently one of the bartenders, can tour him around and show him his working station. Donghyuck seems friendly enough too, though a bit feisty—but nothing he can't handle.

"Well I already took a liking in you, so I'm sure the sentiment will last." Renjun unhooks Donghyuck's arm before asking him where he can get his uniform.

"By the way, they provide us button-ups and slacks to keep us uniformed, so just wear something comfortable when arriving and going out okay?"

"Will take note of that" he answers before grabbing the polo and pants.

In the middle of buttoning up in the locker room—while Donghyuck is also changing opposite of him—someone comes in, another staff, he assumes.

"Oh hey Jaemin."

"Hey Hyuckie. Oh you must be the new guy." and that's his cue to button faster and turn around.

"Hey...", he can't help but trail off and take a short breath.

It's not often he gets attracted to a guy, after all.

After realizing he stared a few more seconds than usual, he stiffly holds out his hand with wide eyes and says, "I'm Renjun."

He hears Donghyuck snicker but couldn't care more, he scans the face of the nameless boy more as he waits for an answer.

"Jaemin. I'm a bartender too like Donghyuck." he replies with a smile, and oh God his hand is so warm Renjun was sure the warmth reached his cheeks which made him smile, nod, and went back to buttoning.

"Good thing you're not almost late today." Renjun hears Donghyuck staring the conversation as he slips on a shoe and ties it.

"Yeah I heard there's a new one coming in, and boss said that I especially should come in early to show decency and be a role model or something like that."

_Ah, so he's the kind of person who usually arrives right before call time_ , Renjun cannot help but smile at that characteristic.

He stretches and turning to the two bartenders before saying, "Um Donghyuck, I'll be going first."

"Oh yeah sure go ahead, you know your way around now right?"

"Yep.", he answers with a smile.

"Moominnie please bring these to table five, they just arrived."

"Got it Haechannie."

There's a rule in the bar where a staff must use a nickname or alias during their shift so there's still some sort of privacy from the customers, also he heard from Donghyuck that the boss thought it was just cool to be "mysterious" and has an "undercover agent" feel. Maybe the boss is just into those things, he doesn't know.

Also, Donghyuck might have already been hinting he knows about Renjun's immediate crushing on his workmate.

"You know, he's single."

"Don't care."

"Didn't even mention a name."

"We both know who it is."

"Well who is it anyway?"

He paused for a second before realizing it's a new voice.

"No one." Renjun smiled to Jeno, a fellow waiter.

"You'll know who it is soon, Nono." Donghyuck adds in before catering a customer which cues the two waiters to leave the island.

And soon enough, Renjun's first night ends.

After flipping the last chair of the bar at the top of the table, Renjun sighs and pulls out his phone to check on notifications he might have missed.

"How's your first night so far?"

Renjun jumped a bit and immediately slouched, it's Jaemin.

"A-ah, it's fine. The staffs here are friendly.", he also couldn't help but pat his own head—habit of nervousness that comes with the slouching.

"I'm glad you felt okay! I remember my first night here, I felt awkward and it felt like everything was out of place. Good thing Hyuckie helped me not mess up the drinks."

"Hyuckie?"

"Donghyuck."

"Oh, I see I see.", then there was quiet, Renjun was still patting his head and looked everywhere but Jaemin.

"Well, things ought to be harder behind the island." Renjun mentioned as an attempt to ease the awkward air.

"Yeah."

Well there goes his attempt out the window.

"I'll... go change and head out now." Renjun speaks up again.

"Okay, I better head off too. Bye bye!" Jaemin says rather cheerily, which makes Renjun's heart skip and cheeks warm again as he says his farewell back.

Renjun fell asleep at 6 am in one of his brother's apartment with a new, warm feeling in his chest

✫彡

When he headed out the next day and decided to get something to snack on on a nearby 7/11, he saw a familiar face on the cashier line.

"Jeno?"

"Oh hey Renjun.", the other replies with a sleepy smile.

"You live around here?", was the first thing Renjun asked because what are the odds?

"Yeah just down at the Amaranth apartment complex."

"I live there too! Which number do you live in?" Renjun got excited at the thought of being closer to an acquaintance and eventually be friends.

"127, you?"

"119, heading to work now?", the thought of living closer than he though went out the window when he saw Jeno being under dressed.

"Oh not yet, I'm gonna eat first before going to work."

"Okay."

"Jaemin's on his way here though, said something about me promising him to buy a cookie but I couldn't remember. Though I'm buying him one so..."

"What?"

"Hmm?" Jeno stands on the side as Renjun places the food he grabbed on the cashier.

"I mean why tell me about Jaemin?"

"Thought it would be nice for someone to keep you company while going to work."

"How do you know where he lives anyway?"

"We live in the same apartment."

"Oh." Renjun grabs the plastic bag and signals Jeno to exit with him.

Stopping right in front of the store, Jeno says, "Don't worry, we're just best friends."

"I'm sorry?"

"Hyuck told me."

"Right. Okay. Great. Anyone else who knows about my crushing state?"

"The boss actually."

"Huh?!"

"Hyuck told him."

"What the hell it's only been a day for me."

Jeno laughs and pointed at Jaemin who's walking towards their direction.

"Jaemin's a really nice guy physically and personality-wise. I can see why anyone could easily crush on him.", Jeno mentions.

"Hey, you're not so bad yourself.", Renjun nudges and Jeno chuckles.

"I'm aware. I was more popular than him when we were still studying.", he says it louder and towards Jaemin when he was closer.

"Yes and he painfully mocks me on how popularity really has an impact on one's life because now he has a boyfriend." Jaemin retorts which makes Renjun turn to Jeno.

"You have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, Donghyuck.", Jeno then smiles like a child when he receives a plush toy.

"Wow. Good for you two! I mean it." Renjun smiles back softly, the couple seems like an odd pair but he can see them being cute and sappy together.

"Thank you. Your cookie, by the way." Jeno turns to Jaemin and shoves a small plastic bag towards him.

"Thanks dude. Shall we?" Jaemin then turns to Renjun and nods at him.

"See you later Jeno!"

The two arrived on the bus station and as expected, there are many other people who are on their way back to work. The bar opens at 7 pm and they were expected to prepare at most two hours before, so of course Renjun computed his commuting time from his first day yesterday which results to seven minutes of walking to the bus station from their apartment and a forty-minute bus ride without traffic.

But the one factor he forgets is how it coincides with rush hour since people are going back home.

And one thing he hates about rush hour is the crowds of people, because he's claustrophobic.

The bus on the way to their work arrived and Jaemin went ahead, working his way in in the sea of people.

Though Renjun, being the scared and respectful boy he is, waits for the other people to come in first and decided to just find Jaemin later.

When he finally steps in the bus, he immediately faces the window as he squeezes through people with a few mutters of excuse me to and tries to spot Jaemin.

However, the further he gets in, the more he feels disorientated and light headed.

He really feels like passing out.

Then the bus starts to move which makes Renjun panic because he hasn't seen Jaemin yet, which is odd because both of them are capable adults.

Yet Renjun feels like he should be with Jaemin to feel safe.

So he still pushes through even if his eyes are getting blurry.

His head feels lighter and lighter by the second and he's having a hard time focusing his vision.

"Renjun?", he hears, then someone holds his arm—making him hold the other's arm back.

It's Jaemin looking up at him.

"Hey...", Renjun doesn't know what to say as he's trying to focus his vision and breathe more air, unconsciously tightening his hold on Jaemin.

"You look pale. Come on sit here." Jaemin looks at him with determined eyes as he squeezes Renjun's arm, he figured the other has a hard time with crowds with how Renjun is acting.

"Where?" Renjun just had to question the younger because the other seat is also occupied.

"Here." Jaemin then patted his lap. Renjun just stared blankly.

"It's okay just go ahead, I don't mind. You look like you're having a hard time."

With the unclear state of his head, Renjun was debating about whether it was an insult or not. But before he comes with a conclusion, Jaemin pulls him down in his lap.

"Put your backpack in your front."

Renjun followed and leaned his face in his bag, trying to get more air so his mind can feel more normal. He then feels Jaemin caressing his back and right forearm.

"Want to listen to some music?", Jaemin asks.

"Yes please."

And they stayed like that throughout the whole bus ride.

Going out of the bus was not a problem, the ones standing went down first and since they are seated at the very back (and the one seated at the corner beside them seems to not be in a rush), they went down when the bus is empty other than them.

They walked fast until they finished walking one street, then slowed down.

"Thanks for, doing that earlier.", Renjun talked shyly but Jaemin seems to hear it anyway.

"It's okay, at least I now know what to do when we commute together next time."

"Next time?", this obviously piqued Renjun's interest but shows little excitement because he's still trying to recover from earlier.

"Yeah. Jeno texted me earlier that we live in the same apartment complex, and since I get lonely when Jeno and Donghyuck goes to work together, I thought that maybe we could go to work together.", Jaemin turns to him with a warm smile.

"Okay", was all Renjun said. Giddy about the thought, how they're going to commute with Renjun's claustrophobia is something they would figure it out later.

"Hey Moominnie could you do me a favor and grab more lemons and peaches in the stock room?", he hears his co-worker who goes by the nickname 'Mark', who's also a bartender, asking a favor to him.

"Sure, one box each?"

"Perfect.", Renjun smiles at the reply and heads to the cramped stock room.

_Lemons_ , immediately spotting the labeled box at the bottom shelf, he pulls it out and puts it outside right beside the door.

_Peaches, peaches, uhh, pear—no, peaches, oh there it is_ , he finds the fruit at the top shelf opposite to where he found the boxes of lemons.

It's at the top, and his hands barely reach the handles, _is there any steps here?_

Seeing that there's no steps, he tries to tiptoe and grab the handles, which he did and felt the weight of the box.

Which is heavy.

He let go of it and took a deep breath.

He tiptoes again and grabs the handle with his left hand and supports the bottom of the box with his right hand.

Which would work if his toes weren't feeling like a bitch that night, which ends him tumbling backwards. 

Preparing for the whole box to fall down with him, he shuts his eyes and feels hands steadying him in his waist and arm.

_Arms?_

He opens his eyes and whips his head back and finds Jaemin staring at him.

Close.

Did he mention that the stock room is so cramped it actually allows one person to go in at a time?

"Are you okay?", he hears Jaemin ask.

"Yeah."

They stared long at each other's eyes before Renjun's arms feel like burning from balancing the heavy box with one arm.

"Okay um, let me just put this box down."

"Yeah I was about to get something—"

Renjun couldn't even lift his arms because of the lack of space, thank God the door is open or else he would start to freak out.

"Um, okay." Renjun, with all his might, lifts the box over his head.

"Woah woah can you handle the weight?", he feels Jaemin's hands land over his wrists to help him balance the box.

"Yeah I'll try."

Jaemin insisted on helping Renjun with the box but they're having a hard time moving faster because of the, again, lack of space.

Seeing how ridiculous this situation is, Renjun laughed.

Jaemin was confused at first, but later then laughed with the smaller one.

"Jesus Christ it's just my second night yet a lot of things have happened today.", Renjun mentions and puffs out a breath.

"Well would you look at that."

They both whip their heads toward the door and see Donghyuck standing in front of them.

"Having fun being stuck? I mean it's a stock room after all."

"Oh my God Hyuckie.", Jaemin laughed more at the pun, and honestly Renjun would thank Donghyuck for making Jaemin laugh directly at his ears.

"Just help us here."

✫彡

The rest of the hours, then days, and eventually weeks have been good for Renjun. He goes to work with Jaemin every day, sometimes even with Jeno and Donghyuck along (he then learns that Donghyuck lives on the same apartment as them and is roommates with Minhyung, really what are the odds).

He also gets to know the people who work behind the walls of the bar and became acquainted with them—a few even asking him out on a drink with them when pay day arrives.

Oddly though, he hasn't seen the boss yet.

The other staff refuses to say anything about the boss, other than his nickname 'Moon', because for some reason, the boss would only allow to let himself known if he is there physically.

It's also pretty odd that the boss, the owner of this fairly-big sized bar which is run by twenty people including himself, is never present. And he has the guts to say never because he hasn't missed a day since his first day.

"Hey Haechannie.", Renjun approaches while there's no customers to tend to.

"How come I haven't seen the boss come around here?"

After serving a drink to a man in front of him, he replies, "He does come here, although at noon and talks about this and that with Johnny hyung.", Johnny is their supervisor whom he has encountered a few times, only asking if he has any concerns or trouble while being here considering he's pretty new.

"Why, though?"

"Well he's trying to get more stuff and getting into contracts and all the jazz because he wants to renovate the bar, make it bigger."

"Makes sense.", Renjun sips on his drink and gets back to work when Jaemin asks him to bring drinks to a table, in which he happily complies.

_One more hour and I can finally go to sleep for more than ten hours_ , he thought. Mondays are his new favorite days because they open at Tuesdays until Sundays, and, you guessed it, it's a Sunday and that means Renjun can slack off for the rest of the day.

Renjun was wordlessly putting down drinks when one of them asked for his name.

"You can call me Moomin.", he replied with a smile, kind of nervous for experiencing this kind of conversation for the first time.

"No like your actual name, what is it.", the man insisted while he gulps down at his drink, Renjun assumed him drunk with how he smelled and basing it off the aura the man had. It's the same with the other four he's with.

"Moomin would be just fine.", he replies with a smile again, hands gripping on the tray he's holding.

"Is Moomin the name your mother calls you?", another man replies.

"No, but—"

"The tell us your damn name how simple is that?", the man he first conversed with butts in with a louder voice.

"Why do you insist on knowing anyways?", Renjun says with a tsk, the attitude of these men getting on his nerves.

"So I know what name I'll call when I hold your body later.", the man smirks and the others laugh.

Renjun knew this was bound to happen, and some advised him to ignore them and not reply back. So he did. He turned back and headed towards the island.

Then he heard a wolf whistle, he looked back and saw the guys laugh louder, feeling satisfied.

"You fucking sons of bitches should rot in hell.", Renjun cries in Mandarin and strides while cracking his bones.

"Renjun leave it.", he hears Jaemin and feels someone holding him back, it's Jeno.

"But that shit's not tolerable!"

"Let me handle this.", he then feels Jaemin ruffle his head.

He feels Jeno tugging him so he allows himself to be pulled back.

"It's rare for us to have a case like this, I'm sorry you experienced it already.", Jeno said while leading them at the back of the island.

"No, you don't have to be sorry.", Renjun says as he observes Jaemin and the group of guys who were catcalling him earlier.

Then the man who initially talked to Renjun stood up and swung his fist at Jaemin.

"What the fuck!", he hears one exclaim, he couldn't determine who anymore as he's rushing towards Jaemin who punched back.

And there were numerous people coming from all directions crowding them to either watch or stop them.

Renjun stumbled back, there's too much happening at once.

He looks back, no one is at the island, he needs someone to hold to. Now.

But Jaemin is the only one he needs.

So he walks towards and pushes himself through the crowd and saw Jeno, Donghyuck, and Minhyung trying to pull back Jaemin and simultaneously fighting off the guys while Johnny is in between them trying to stop both parties from further injuries—Renjun decided to help him.

But the man who talked to him earlier saw Renjun and grabbed him.

"Renjun!", he hears all of them scream. He's being passed down as he tries to struggle away but he's just not strong enough, and he hates himself for being so physically weak at the moment, he couldn't help the stinging forming in his eyes.

He shuts his eyes as he screams for it to stop, he hears various screams from the crowd cheering or attempting to halt the fight, as well as screams from his co-workers.

_Why am I not passing out yet? I want to pass out. Body please give up. I want to feel nothing._

He then hears a very loud glass shattering, in which he later figures out the large glass decoration with a painting on beside the island counter.

This caught everyone's attention which made everyone pause and search for the source of noise. Only to be followed by,

"What the actual fuck is going on here?"

Apparently, it was 'Moon'. After his entrance, the crowd dispersed and he got the five men arrested for assault. Which leads to the bar closed for the next two nights to repair whatever was broken, as well as the bruised faces of the ones who are supposed to serve all the customers.

Which leads Renjun, Jaemin, Jeno, Donghyuck, and Minhyung to gather at Renjun's apartment because his brother just went to work.

Which leads to a lot of now liquid ice packs scattered on the living room floor—the boys now either on the couch or floor and just staring into nothing.

"We're sorry, Renjun.", Jaemin starts.

"You don't have to be, it's not your fault."

"But we let it happen and it's not fair, that kind of case is the fourth one now and this is the worst one so far—consider that true because I was the first one out of us to work there. So we're sorry for having you involved in this mess.", Jaemin stated and looked at him in the eyes with so much care, and Renjun just wants to drown in it.

"And that's our cue to leave. Jeno, Minhyung, let's go.", Donghyuck says with a smile etched on his face, grabbing his boyfriend's hand and nodding to Minhyung.

"Should we really leave? The couch is so comfy.", Jeno whines.

"Yes baby because this is the part where they will say their love for each other."

Then the door slam shuts.

"Each other?"

"Love?"

They chuckled.

"You like me?", Jaemin asks.

"Had a crush on you since we first met each other, and I heard Donghyuck saying 'each other' so what was that about?", Renjun annoyingly pokes Jaemin's forehead to divert his attention from his now heating face.

"Your first day when we talked after you were packing up the chairs, you looked pretty in the morning light."

It made Renjun blush, the way Jaemin said that, and it's making Renjun pat his head out of not-knowing-what-to-do.

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Can I hug you?", Renjun said, slowly looking at Jaemin's face, which he finds smiling. Jaemin opens his arms.

Renjun fits himself inside it.

He feels safe.

"I like you so much. You don't know how much my heart beats fast whenever I see you smile and how you look so handsome while mixing those stupid drinks.", Renjun says while burying his face into Jaemin's chest, which makes them tumble back and lie horizontally on the couch. Jaemin chuckles and oh God, he would like to hear that forever.

"Ever since that bus incident when we first went to work my protective instincts went higher. It made me realize that I would do anything just to not see you upset and look broken.

Renjun looks up at Jaemin and sees him looking with so much love, it feels like it's just them in this world.

He would like to keep it that way.

Jaemin leans in and it makes Renjun's eyes immediately close, and feels his lips in his forehead.

Renjun smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> i feel like this is my best one yet, i hope you guys enjoyed reading it just as i enjoyed writing it :D


End file.
